School employee under federal probe

BATON ROUGE- An employee in the East Baton Rouge Public School System is under fire with the federal government after questions arose on how she purchased school uniforms for a homeless student program.

According to an audit performed by the school system, Carolyn Coleman is the employee under investigation.

The audit claims she used one business to buy school uniforms since 2003, MC & B Enterprises, a business no other uniform wholesaler had ever heard of before. According to the audit, Coleman spent more than $150,000 since 2003 on the uniforms, but lost much of the documentation of shipment.

The Department of Education subpoenaed the audit as well as personnel information on Coleman.

"We're cooperating with the federal investigators who contacted our office. We turned over everything to them that they requested and we're fully cooperating with them," said Chris Trahan, spokesman for the school district.

While the school system continues to assist the federal investigators in their ongoing investigation, local uniform suppliers think the report shows a failure to support the students in need.

"The Salvation Army was actually here just this morning buying uniforms for needy children and it's really rough that they're having to use their money and obviously this woman wasn't using her funds appropriately," said Erinn Shaw, who manages Young Fashions, a uniform store.

According to the school system's website, Coleman is currently employed at Winbourne Elementary.